Introduction Since the emergence of AIDS in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the disease has been associated with significant social stigma. This stigma has manifested itself in the form of discrimination, avoidance, and fear towards people living with AIDS (PLWA). As a result, the social implications of the disease have expanded from those of other life-threatening conditions to the point where PLWA are not only facing terminal illness but also social isolation and ongoing discrimination throughout society. . Various explanations have been suggested for the underlying causes of this stigmatization. Many studies underline the relationship that the disease has with deviant behavior. Others suggest that the real culprit is fear of contagion. Examining the existing literature and placing it in social context leads one to believe that there is no cause. Instead, there would appear to be a set of associated factors that influence society's attitudes towards AIDS and PLWA. As the number of people infected with HIV increases, social workers are and will be increasingly called upon to manage and serve people with disabilities. Although not all social workers have chosen to work with PLWA, the increasing incidence of HIV infection is creating a situation in which HIV-positive people are and will be presenting more frequently in almost all areas of social work practice. This article aims to examine AIDS-related stigma and the stigmatization process, in the hope of providing insights into counteracting the effects of stigma and perhaps the possibility of destigmatization. This is of particular relevance to the field of social work due to our increasing involvement with the HIV-positive population. Association with deviant/marginal behavior One of the most clearly and often identified causes of AIDS-related stigma is its association with deviant behavior. For many the disease has had and still has a strong association with homosexuality, intravenous drug use, sexual promiscuity and other forms of liberated sexual practice (O'Hare, et al., 1996; Canadian Associacion of Social Workers, 1990; Quam, 1990 & Beauger, 1989). There is a particularly strong association between homosexuality and AIDS. This is largely due to the fact that, in the early years of the disease, it was much more prevalent within the gay community and almost non-existent outside of it. In fact, until 1982 the disease was called GRID or Gay Related Immune Deficiency. Even today, AIDS is often referred to as "the gay plague" (Giblin, 1995).